


Lights in the Night

by SonjaJade



Series: Bee Stings and Honey [4]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Atonement - Freeform, Gen, Military, Reconstruction, honoring the dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:07:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24657316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonjaJade/pseuds/SonjaJade
Summary: The ruin of Ishval was heralded by explosions. Seems only fitting the rebuilding of Ishval is heralded by explosions as well.
Relationships: Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Series: Bee Stings and Honey [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1795597
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	Lights in the Night

**Author's Note:**

> Royai Week 2020, day 4: Crackle  
> Continuation of my previous 3 entries

It’s a searing hot afternoon when Roy and his newly assembled unit arrive in the ruins of Ishval. They’ve driven for hours at a snail’s pace, as many Ishvalans have followed them in a caravan on foot.

When they finally stop at the designated location for the pop-up command center, the Ishvalan people help set up the tents and equipment that the army will need to breathe life back into their homeland. They sing prayers while they work alongside the uniformed soldiers, and Roy has to catch himself several times before he openly weeps.

A few hours later, the Amestrian Relief Corp arrives with a refrigerated truck full of refreshing, cold drinks, warm meals, and bright smiles for all. Roy eats with his team, seated beside his secret wife, and watches as some Ishvalan men show Major Miles a crate of fireworks.

He nudges Riza. “Looks like we’re about to have a show.”

The young men race out toward the ruins of their most holy temple and climb what’s left of the steps to a flat place. Barely visible in the dying light, they set up the pyrotechnics and begin to light them off. With a whoosh, one zips into the air before exploding like thunder. Red and white streaks of light rocket out into a large weeping willow shape before crackling into silvery sparks.

The cheers are immediate, and he turns to look at Riza with a grin. “Explosions heralded the destruction of this place. It seems only fitting that explosions announce its rebirth.”

She smirks, replying. “Better write that down. It’ll make a good line in your autobiography one day.”

“I don’t have time to write one,” he says as the others laugh at her statement. “I’ve got lots of work to do, still. At least we’re finally at the beginning.” Another firework is launched into the sky and the Ishvalans begin to sing again.

Riza stands up, her finished plate in hand. “This isn’t our celebration. We should let them enjoy it in peace.”

“That’s not true,” says Scar, approaching from behind. “They’re asking Ishvala to bless you for making our country a top priority. We wouldn’t be here without your help.” He takes her dinnerware from her and offers a smile. “Please, stay.”

She thanks him for taking her dishes and he gently pats her shoulder before turning away. As Riza sits down once more, Roy raises his canteen.

“Let us drink to the memory of all who died here, and to the efforts of all those who are living to bring it back.”

Riza, Breda, Ross, and Miles raise their canteens as well, then take long drinks of their water as the sky lights up with more colors- colors that Roy is very grateful to be able to see. When the show is over, every person that arrived in Ishval applauds and cheers. It’s definitely a homecoming celebration.

“Well,” Breda says, getting to his feet and stretching. “We have a long, hot day ahead of us tomorrow. I’m going to bed before it gets too cold to fall asleep.” Ross and Miles agree, though their part Isvhalan compatriot says he’s looking forward to the cold of the night.

“Just because I’ve got desert blood in me doesn’t cancel out the fifteen years I’ve been at Ft. Briggs!” he says with a chuckle.

Roy asks Riza if she wouldn’t mind going over their schedule with him one more time before turning in, and they head to the makeshift office- the first structure erected once they arrived. Inside the canvas building are several desks, metal filing cabinets, and piles of papers and olive green folders that contain all the information they’ll need to get started clearing the land and reconstructing Ishval.

Roy grabs a random folder from the top of the stacks and goes into his ‘office’. Before Riza can even close the door entirely, he’s set the folder on his desk and is reaching for her. He curls his finger and thumb into a circle and taps, a faint crackle of alchemical energy at his fingertips. Touching the latch, he locks the rest of the world out for a few moments to allow him and Riza enough privacy to celebrate their first real victory.

It doesn’t take long to remove the essential bits of their uniforms. Because they’ve just set up shop that afternoon, Roy’s desk is practically empty and provides a surface they can use to sate their passions. Their voices never raise above a whisper, but the words are hotter than their new surroundings. Their bodies shiver with want, then with ecstasy shortly after. Roy takes the time afterward to give his wife plenty of kisses as they catch their breath.

“We won’t have to hide too much longer,” he whispers near her ear before kissing her just behind it.

Riza wraps her arms and legs around him and holds him tight to her. “I can’t wait,” she breathes.

They reluctantly untangle themselves from each other and straighten their clothing. While Riza fixes her hair, Roy does indeed go over the morning’s schedule with her. She confirms it, then suggests that even if he can’t seem to remember anything else, so long as he’s up and ready to start the day at 0700, she can help him sort out the rest.

“Thank you for everything, honey,” he says before kissing her lips. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world.”

* * *

It takes a little under a month to clear the rubble. They’ve sorted the remnants into piles: whole and usable stones, broken but usable stones, metal, and unusable. Scar tells them the people want to use these materials to create a monument, and Roy offers to lend an alchemical hand to make it happen faster. While the rest of the Amestrian forces begin new construction, he and a team of four Ishvalans come up with a design.

They settle on a traditional mausoleum, with intricate stone work, arches, and a dome. It takes Roy several attempts to get it just right, but with every clap of his hands, the monument shifts and crackles into place properly, until the only thing left to do is cover the dome with the metal scraps. When it’s done, the Ishvalans stop work immediately to come and dedicate the building with a sung prayer.

“You’re getting more comfortable with taboo transmutation,” Riza comments quietly as they watch the team of designers go inside the building to properly stylize the interior of the tomb.

Roy wipes the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. “Practice makes perfect.”

“What are they doing now?”

“They’re going to carve the names of their dead. They insisted on doing it by hand, since I can’t write their script out as nice as they would like it to be.” He says they’re also going to paint prayers and eventually inlay tiles on the inside of the dome. They’ve saved every piece of the old Ishval they could to make a memorial, and they want it to be the center of the new Ishval.

That night at dinner, the setting sun lights the dome up like a beacon. The different metals combine into a warm brassy color, and Riza smiles. 

“Like warm honey,” she says, nudging Roy.

He nods, patting her shoulder. “Everything’s honey from now on, Colonel Hawkeye. Just wait and see.”


End file.
